Improvement in preparing wood for the manufacture of buttons



ROBERT II. ISBELL, OF NEW MILFORD, OONNEOTIGUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN PREPARING WOOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF BUTTONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. figdlflgti, datedDecember 24, 1872.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT E. ISBELL, of NewMilford, county of Litchfield, State of Connecticut, have invented anImproved Process in ManufacturingWood Buttons, of which the following isa specification:

My invention consists, first, in removing the albuminous matter from theducts of the wood; also removing impurities and matter soluble inalcohol that impregnate the lignine of the tissues; second, of changingor impregnating to the greatest possible extent the fiber of the woodwith a gum soluble in alcohol, acid, or alkalies, and afterwardevaporating all the fiuid matter by heat third, in closing all the ductsor cells of the wood, while hot, by a revolving or rotating press; theobject being to produce a button hard and duetile, and impervious tomoisture.

Description.

For the blanks of buttons I use thoroughlyseasoned wood, whose fiber istough and close-maple, box, pear, birch, or apple tree being good. Thetimber is first sawed into square strips a little larger in diameterthan the blank. From these strips the blanks are sawed crosswise, anddouble the thickness of the finished button; they are then turned in alathe to nearly the form of the finished button. The blanks are thensoaked in a weak solution of hydrate of soda to remove the albumen; thenthey are thoroughly washed in clear water. These blanks are then placedin an iron vessel with a steamtight cover, and then covered with gumlac, or use painters japan dissolved in alcohol, the cover secured, and284. Fahrenheit heatapplied till a pressure of fifty pounds per inch isobtained, and then the heat is regulated to keep the pressure at thatpoint for an hour, or till they sink in the varnish. This forces the guminto the wood, filling all the ducts and impregnating the fiberthoroughly, the alcohol or alkali extracting from the wood the solubleparts, which rise to the top, the wood absorbing and retaining the gumlac. The cover of vessel is then removed,. and temperature re duced to174 till the alcohol is evaporated; then reduced to 90, till the gum lacis well absorbed by the wood and blanks are quite dry. The blanks arethen put into a steambox, and heated with steam at a pressure of twopounds per inch till the gum and wood are moderately soft. They are thentaken while hot and pressed in a die with revolving or ro tatin g punchto one-half the thickness of blank. This forces all the fiber togetherand fills all ducts of the wood, and leaves the but ton hard and similarto horn, with a finelyfinished face. I can use other preparations tofill the fiber, such asresinous varnishes, japan, 850.; but they do notgive as good a'result. I can also impregnate the blanks by simplyboil-uing them in an open vessel; butit requires more time, and does notforce the lac into the ducts and fiber as thoroughly as the pressure.Then, the after heating by steam prepares the lac for retaining thefiber in its compressed state.

It is very essential that all the albumen and other solvent mattersshould be removed from the wood to prevent their action on the gum lac,or impede its penetrating the woody fiber. The pressure applied in arevolving or rotary motion turns the fiber over and knits them togethermore than if the pressure were direct downward; that would only pressthem together endwise, and would not destroy the line of fracture, (orsplit seams, as usually termed.) This revolving pressure greatlyfacilitates filling all the pores, ducts, 860., of the wood, and turns ahard, bright enamel onto face of button.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The process herein described for preparing, filling, pressing, andpolishing wood, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT H. ISBELL.

Witnesses LAURA A. HUBBELL, A. SKAATS.

